A Journey of Prayer
by Martha Hayes

With our daughter ready to graduate, our family draws to a close a very special journey at Ann Arbor Christian School.  I realize this journey was marked entirely by prayer.  Some of you may have been reading these newsletters long enough to remember our sharing of the challenge our then five-year-old son presented when he announced he wanted "a Christian education" (Letter from a Parent, The Quarterly, Winter 1993).  Financially this looked impossible since we had made some important decisions to keep one parent at home and we were already awestruck at the thought of how much money would be needed by the time our preschoolers reached college age.  However, one cannot deny a five-year-old at least the promise to pray for his desire to attend a Christian school.  Our son Miles is now 13 and recognizes God as the provider because this child, at 5, persistently prayed for God to provide the money for this education.  God not only provided some one-time unexpected funds for that first year of Christian education but also the inspiration for a family side business that grew as the tuition needs of two children grew.

Isn't it just like God to provide more than we ask?  We have been richly blessed with lifelong friends from AACS and a foundation for our children's upbringing that is priceless.

The words of the song , "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing......With my mouth will I make known, thy faithfulness, thy faithfulness....to all generations." These are the words sung by Mom's in Touch at the end of our hour of prayer each week. For eight years, I have prayed alongside women who love the Lord and trust Him with small and large details for our children, other children, staff, board members, families, and the future of AACS....the list goes on.  I won't know all the answers to prayer until I get to the other side but I know each prayer is heard by a God who cares.

When I accepted a position for the school's Public Relations Co-Chair several years ago, I clearly didn't have the credentials for the job but I was  willing.  God did not abandon me.  He has provided an amazing team with expertise in graphics, writing, web site design, and marketing.  God provides.

There are so many stories similar to these.  These are testimonies which remind us that God is in control of AACS.  God does love AACS.

I would like to challenge families of this school to choose a night each week (or a time each day) to pray for the school.  Let your child keep a prayer journal of these prayers.  God does not disappoint us. He is faithful. I am thankful for this life-changing journey.

With gratitude,
Martha Hayes and family